New Years, New Beginnings
by MythGirl Writes
Summary: New Year's Eve has always been a hard time of the year for Serena, so why should this year be any different? [Sorry I really suck at summaries] Rated T because I'm paranoid
1. Bittersweet Memories

**Happy [almost] New Year, everyone! I'm posting this story so early in the day because. . .well, I just feel like it! I've decided to try my hand in writing fanfiction for another one of my favorite fandoms, Pokémon! I'm sorry if everyone seems really OOC, I'm currently rewatching the Kalos seasons [and am on episode 2 of season 17, as I have previously only watched about 5 episodes from the first Kalos season :-. So I'm more or less basing character interactions on [very vague] memories and other fanficitons XD. My Pokémon fics will get better over time, I promise! As for now, enjoy!**

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" _Are you ready for the new year, Serena?" A man asked. He was tall, with hair just a shade darker than the six-year-old's next to him. The two were setting up chairs and blankets in their backyard._

" _Yes, Daddy!" She exclaimed happily. She was already in her pajamas, a pink bow holding back her medium-length hair. "Come on, Mommy!"_

 _Grace came up behind them, smiling. "You sure are excited for the new year, Serena," she commented before setting up the last chair for herself._

 _She nodded furiously before sitting down in the middle chair and covering herself with blankets. "I'm gonna stay up till midnight this time, promise!"_

 _Her parents laughed, taking their seats. "You're right on track this year, Rena," her dad said, using his favorite nickname for her. "It's already eleven-thirty."_

 _He looked over at her, catching her mid-yawn. She quickly shut her mouth and attained a stubborn look. "I'm not sleepy yet. I'll make it this year. I'm gonna see the fireworks!" From their backyard, they had a perfect view of the fireworks set off in a different part of Vaniville Town._

" _You know, Serena, they say that the person you're with at midnight will be with you forever," Grace told her._

 _Sapphire eyes wide, she looked from one adult to another. "Really?"_

" _Of course," her dad said. "That's how I got your mom to marry me."_

" _So. . .if I'm with a boy at midnight. . ." the starry look snapped off her face, quickly replaced with one of disgust. "No! Boys are icky!"_

 _Her dad laughed. "Stay like this forever, please." He ruffled her hair a bit, and she shrunk down into her blankets, shrieking with laughter. Once he stopped, she stayed under the blankets, closing her eyes and falling asleep._

That was what Serena dreamed about that night. To her, though, it wasn't so much a dream as a nightmare. Her dad promised her that the people she was with on New Year's Eve would be with her forever; she and her parents would be together forever.

That was the month before her dad had the accident, and her entire world changed.

 **X-X-X**

Serena was the first one up, not that she minded; she wanted some time to herself to recover from her dream. New Year's Eve had never been a good time of the year for her, at least since that year. Hopefully, nobody would remember, and they could all go about with their regularly scheduled days.

She got herself dressed quickly, remembering to brush her hair thoroughly, before starting breakfast. Since they weren't going to pass a Pokémon Center for a while, the group had stocked up on instant oatmeal for the days in between, as well as some pokémon food, of course.

Quietly, so as to not wake the others, she released Fennekin and Pancham from their poké balls, instructing them to stay quiet. After pouring them some food, she started heating up the oatmeal cups over the now-lit campfire with a quiet thanks to Fennekin for lighting the fire.

She tried to distract herself by setting the table while the oatmeal cooked, but found herself remembering how she and her dad set the table while her mom cooked breakfast on the weekends.

Gosh, New Year's Eve was relentless.

Soon after the oatmeal was done cooking, Bonnie, Clemont, and Ash woke up, granting her some company. Still half-asleep, they took their breakfast with a thanks, all of them stretching and yawning. They released their pokémon as well, who also began feasting on the food Serena had already set out for them. Once their full stomachs had made them more alert, they began to remember exactly what day it was.

"Hey, happy New Year's Eve, everyone!" Ash recalled with a grin. Pikachu mirrored his trainer's excitement.

Bonnie cheered. "Yes! Now I get to stay up late, right, brother?"

With a small smile, Clemont nodded. "Yes, Bonnie, you can attempt to stay up until midnight if you want," he said, earning another round of cheers from the small girl.

"I'm excited for a whole new year of training!" Ash exclaimed, punching a fist into the air. "They're gonna be lots of new challenges!"

"Pi pika!" Pikachu cried, punching one of his paws in the air.

Rather than being sucked into the conversation, Serena busied herself with clearing the table. The containers the oatmeal came in were reusable, so she could clean them out and they could use them for storage later.

"Are you ready for the new year, Serena?" Ash asked. As soon as the words left his mouth, Serena froze in her tracks, recalling once again her dream. Even though it was purely a coincidence that he spoke the same words as her dad that night, she couldn't help but wonder if he had seen her dream.

"Serena?" He asked again, traces of worry evident on his face as well as Clemont's. "Are you alright?"

Just as it had brought her away from reality, his voice snapped her back into reality. "Oh! Um, yeah, I'm fine."

Ash's worried expression dissolved, though Clemont's still remained. "Are you excited for the new year, then?"

"Of course," she answered after a moment's hesitation. "New year, new adventures, right?"

"Right!" Bonnie agreed ecstatically, jumping around with Dedenne. "There are gonna be lots more adventures!"

Finishing cleaning and drying the containers, Serena packed them away in her bag, allowing for more room in Clemont's. With everyone's plans for the night approaching slowly, everyone began doing their own thing as usual.

While Clemont was working on yet another invention off in the distance [probably to analyze what he called an "abnormally warm New Year's Eve"], Ash and his pokémon gathering some berries, and Bonnie playing with Clemont's pokémon and Dedenne, Serena settled down at their picnic table, taking a brush to Fennekin's fur. She enjoyed brushing her pokémon's fur, but Pancham enjoyed playing more than sitting still.

Although Fennekin's fur was soon glistening, Serena didn't stop brushing it, as it also helped calm her nerves. Fennekin had fallen asleep a few minutes ago, but Serena kept brushing.

"Serena!" Bonnie said, tugging the girl's hand to get her attention. Fennekin woke then, standing and stretching before hopping off of Serena's lap to join her friends.

"Hm?" Serena muttered distractedly, her thoughts still occupied.

"Are you gonna stay up til midnight with me?" Bonnie asked excitedly, bouncing slightly on her feet.

"De denne de!" Dedenne said from her shoulder with a smile.

"What about Clemont? Don't you want to spend New Year's with your brother?" Serena asked, now a little more alert.

"He _never_ stays up until midnight," Bonnie informed her, making a face. "He always falls asleep _hours_ before midnight."

"Have you ever made it to midnight, then?"

Bonnie crossed her arms. "No, but at least I make it farther than Clemont."

Serena laughed, setting down the brush still in her hand. "I've never made it to midnight, either," she admitted with a wink.

"How 'bout we do it together this year?" Bonnie suggested again.

Remembering her dream, the smile slipped off her face. "I'm sorry, Bonnie, but I think I'm going to turn in early tonight."

"Se-re-na," Bonnie pouted, eyes wide. Dedenne mimicked her.

"That's not going to work, Bonnie. I'm sorry," Serena apologized again. "I'm sure Ash will if you ask him, though."

"I'll what?" Ash asked from behind them. "Oh, by the way, Pikachu, Froakie, Fletchling and I found some berries for later."

Taking in his and his pokémon's juice-covered hands/paws/wings and mouths/beaks, Serena teased, "Really? I never would've guessed."

Ash laughed, rubbing the back of his head, and no doubt spreading the berry juice throughout his hair. "Sorry. We got a little hungry. So, what were you guys talking about?"

"Clemont always falls asleep before midnight and Serena's going to bed early," Bonnie complained to him. "So I don't have anyone to stay up til midnight with."

"I'll stay up with you, Bonnie," Ash offered with a smile. Without thinking, he ruffled the smaller girl's hair, getting juice in it.

"Ash, will you please stop touching everything with juice on your hands?" Serena chastised. "Berry juice is hard to get out of just about everything."

"Oh, right. Sorry 'bout that," he laughed.

Sighing, Serena smiled and grabbed the bag with her cleaning supplies. "Come on, Bonnie, I'll help you get the juice out of your hair. Pikachu, Froakie, Fletchling, you can come, too."

"Hey, what about me?" Ash complained, following them.

"You're on your own," Bonnie told him with a mischievous grin. "You got the berry juice on yourself." She, Serena, and the pokémon laughed as Ash groaned, but they still allowed him to follow.

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 **Originally, this was going to be a one-shot, but it got to the point where it was so long, so I'm posting it as two chapters. Expect the next one up on New Year's Eve!**


	2. A Night to Remember

**And here's part 2! I hope you all enjoy this, and I once again apologize for any OOC-ness within this fic. I also have no idea what sleeping arrangements they have [I'm on episode 4 of season 17 now] so I took a random guess that Bonnie and Serena sleep in a tent together, and Ash and Clemont sleep in sleeping bags outside. Sorry if I'm wrong, as I watch more, my** **Pokémon stories will get more accurate.**

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As the day progressed, Serena and Bonnie spent hours playing with the pokémon, and for Serena, helping Clemont with lunch and dinner. Thankfully, she was able to avoid any questions as to why she would be going to bed early on a night most people, young children included, attempted to stay up until midnight.

Well, at least until the sun began to set.

She and Bonnie were the first to have their pajamas on, sitting outside in the cool air for a while while waiting for Ash and Clemont. Fennekin had already been returned to her poké ball, being exhausted even though it had taken a nap earlier. Pancham had turned in early as well, tired from playing the entire day. Dedenne was asleep too, but that was a much more predictable occurrence, as Dedenne slept a lot.

"Hey, Serena," Bonnie said eventually. "You sure you don't wanna stay up with me and Ash?"

"I'm sure, Bonnie," she answered quietly, looking at the young girl in tyrantrum pajamas.

"Well, why not? I mean, I know you said you never make it to midnight, but why not try?"

"It's. . .complicated," Serena sighed. "I just don't feel like staying up tonight, okay?"

Bonnie crossed her arms across her chest. Before she could pry any more, Ash and Clemont emerged from wherever it was where they were changing.

"All right! Who's ready to stay up til midnight?" Ash asked, grinning. Bonnie uncrossed her arms and smiled back.

"Me! I'm gonna make it this year!" she cheered.

"I'll try, but I probably won't make it," Clemont said, smiling as well.

Looking down, Serena said, "I actually think I'm going to go to bed soon."

Ash frowned. "You know, I meant to ask you earlier. Why are you going to bed so soon?"

"I just am, okay?" Serena responded, an icy edge to her voice. "In fact, I'm going now. Good night."

She felt bad for being a little rude to her friends, but she had had enough of the day, with reminders of her dad and her last good New Year's Eve everywhere she turned. As she crawled into her sleeping bag within the tent she and Bonnie shared, she pretended not to hear her friends talking outside.

"Is she okay?" She heard Ash ask. "Did I say something wrong. . .?"

"She's been acting a bit off all day," Clemont commented. "Bonnie, do you know?"

Bonnie's response came tentatively. "She said it's complicated."

"Let's just leave her be, then," Clemont said. "She'll probably be fine in the morning."

 _That's right,_ Serena thought. _I'll be fine as soon as this day is over._

 **X-X-X**

So, naturally, she couldn't sleep.

She heard the sounds of Clemont sleeping in his sleeping bag, and Bonnie and Ash playing a game to see who could name more pokémon [Ash won, of course, having the slight advantage of having travelled many regions].

Even though she tried, she couldn't fall asleep. Once again, she decided that she hated New Year's Eve.

She heard them wander around camp, maybe playing a game of hide-and-seek with Pikachu, Froakie, and Fletchling, or so she assumed. Peeking her head out of the tent, she made sure the coast was clear before darting out and climbing the nearest tree.

The last time she climbed a tree, it was to get away from everything going on in her life. In her perspective, it was a good way to block out all the troubles in her life and just focus on the view. That being said, it took her a little while to get up the tree, as she hadn't climbed one in a few months.

Once she was safely on a branch, her back turned to camp, she stared out into the wooded area. There was really nothing like a calming night spent in a tree to distract someone from their problems.

She almost went back to bed after a few minutes, feeling the loneliness of the night. A minute or two ago, she had heard Ash putting Bonnie in her tent; she must've fallen asleep. She had lost track of Ash, though. . .

"Serena?" Ash's voice came from behind her, along with the rustling of branches. "I thought you went to bed a while ago."

"I did," she responded as he sat next to her on the branch. "I just. . .couldn't sleep. I came up here to think." She glanced at Ash, but quickly looked away again. "I'm sorry if I woke you up."

"You didn't," he assured her. "I didn't sleep at all, actually, though Bonnie fell asleep a few minutes ago. I usually end up staying awake until midnight every year."

Serena laughed weakly. "I tried to stay up every year until I was six. After that, I just treated it like any other day."

Although she was still staring into the dark night, she could sense him frowning next to her. "Why? New Year's Eve is special. What happened to make you change that?"

Serena stayed silent for a moment, remembering her dream from the night before. She knew she could trust him with this information, but was she ready?

She must have been silent for a while, because Ash eventually said quietly, "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

Serena quickly shook her head. "No, I want to tell you. It's just. . .I needed to prepare myself first. I'm ready now." Slowly, she shifted her stance so she was straddling the tree, her back against the trunk. Ash did the same, facing her. Taking a deep breath, she looked into Ash's warm brown eyes.

"When I was six, I almost made it to midnight. Every New Year's Eve, my parents and I would go to our backyard and watch the the fireworks set off in Vaniville Town at midnight. This year, before I fell asleep, my dad told me that whoever you're with at midnight will be with you forever. To me, that meant that I'd always be with him and Mom." She mentally prepared herself for the tears she would likely shed soon.

"About a month or so after, my dad was on his way home from work- he was a teacher at a high school in Vaniville. He always rode his bike to and from work." She smiled sadly at the memories of her father kissing her before he pedalled off each morning. "One day in particular, I had had a bad day at school. Since the teachers wouldn't let me wear my hats to school, my dad bought me a hairband with pink flowers on it for my birthday one year. My friend Calem was out sick that day, and without him, all the boys teased me about the hairband. One even took it off my head and threw it in the mud."

"That's awful!" Ash exclaimed, horrified.

She nodded. "I should've been used to it, honestly. Calem was the only person who ever stood up for me at school, and whenever he wasn't there, the other boys pulled out all the stops. When I got home that day, I was very close to tears. Mom was outside training with Rhyhorn, and I was taught at a young age not to disturb her unless it was an emergency. All I wanted was my dad, but he hadn't come home yet. I waited at the kitchen table, staring at my mud-stained hairband."

The barrage of memories hit her so fast, she could barely react.

" _I'm sorry, dear, Calem is sick today. He won't be coming to school," his mom told her that morning. Serena nodded before heading on her way, dreading what would come at school._

" _That hairband is ugly, just like you are!" The boys taunted during recess. Serena put her hand protectively on the band._

" _I-I'm not ugly," she said, although only half-believing it. The boys laughed, and one next to her ripped the hairband off of her head, leaving her hair messy. "Hey! Give that back!"_

" _Why would I?" The boy asked with a smirk. Winding up, he hurled it into the nearest mud puddle while Serena shrieked._

"Serena? Are you alright?" She heard Ash ask beside her. He reached a hand out to touch her shoulder, bringing her back to reality.

"Sorry. I was just lost in memories," she apologized. Ash nodded knowingly.

"It's alright if you don't want to continue," he said.

"I'm okay, really. So, that day, the phone rang. I answered it, and the person on the other side asked for my mom. I ran out and got her, then came back in with her, trying to eavesdrop on the conversation. As soon as the person on the other side of the line said something to her, she sent me to my room for a little while. So I just sat on my bed, trying to be as quiet as possible to hear Mom talking, but she was whispering. I eventually gave up, and started looking through some of my pokémon picture books. After a while, Mom came into my room with tears in her eyes. She told me to put my coat on, that Calem's mom was going to watch me for a while. That's when I knew something was up; Mom never lets me go to Calem's house when he's sick." She shook her head, trying to hold back to the inevitable tears before they spilled over completely.

"It was Calem's mom that explained to me what had happened. On his way home from work, my dad had gotten into an accident when two wild pokémon were battling on the side of the road; a joltik and a vulpix. I still have no idea what they were doing there, but they both must've used their strongest attacks at the same time, and they collided, causing a large explosion." The tears flowed from her eyes, and she shut her eyes in an attempt to stop them. However, they just kept coming. "I-it sent him flying off his bike, and he landed on the other side of the road. By the time anyone found him, thanks to a Fletchling calling nonstop, he- he was already dead."

She couldn't say any more. She felt Ash's arms wrap around her, holding her tight. She reciprocated the embrace, letting her tears flow freely. "I'm so sorry, Serena," Ash whispered in her ear.

Serena sniffed, pulling away. Bringing her hand up to her face, she brushed away the rest of her tears. "I'm sorry for acting this way, this is just the first time I've told anyone. Nobody's really cared enough to ask. Thank you."

"Of course! Clemont, Bonnie, and I will always be there if you need us," Ash reminded her.

"And I'll always be there for you guys," she responded with a small smile. She yawned lightly, feeling the effects of being up so late. Shifting her position in order to climb back down the tree, she said, "I think I'm gonna go back to sleep."

"Wait!" Ash said, catching her wrist. "You've made it this far; there's only a few minutes until the new year. Don't you wanna see the fireworks?"

Serena thought for a moment. "All right. This'll be the year I finally see the fireworks!"

Ash grinned. "That's the spirit!" The two changed positions so they were side-by-side once more, facing the direction the fireworks would come from.

Sure enough, in less than a minute, the fireworks started up, illuminating the night sky with their colors. "Whoa," Serena breathed, eyes wide.

"Happy New Year, Serena," Ash said happily, gazing at the colorful patterns.

Before she could lose her nerve, she turned and gave him a light, friendly kiss on the cheek. "Happy New Year, Ash. And thank you, again." With that, she climbed down the tree and back into her sleeping bag in the tent, leaving Ash staring at her from the tree.

Closing her eyes, Serena realized that the saying her dad had told her didn't have to mean that the people you were with would physically be by your side forever, but they would be with you in you heart. Yes, she realized that it was a bit sappy, but she was glad to have spent New Year's Eve this year with her friends. Nothing would be able to tear them apart.

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 **Yes I added that sappy part on purpose, to let you all know that yes, I know it's cheesy and somewhat cliche, but hater's gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate [I also love Taylor Swift]. I hope you all enjoyed this, and I hope you all have a great New Year's Eve! See you next year!**


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